Schlafly Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout

Brewed by Saint Louis Brewery
Style: Imperial Stout
Maplewood, Missouri USA

Bottle at the Brickskeller. Pours somewhat thinly to a basic black, showing brandy coloring on the sides and beneath. Aroma begins with bourbon, mint, and charred oak, eventually revealing wet mulch and tobacco leaves, and steamed vegetables; broccoli. Fairly firm sweetness to taste; belgian chocolate, burnt espresso, with thin and somewhat acrid bourbon providing a dirty soil underneath. Thick maple smoke and a lovely chord of vanilla ring out in the first stage of finish; this develops a touch of plastic and increasing synthetic bitterness. Honey and ground dark roast define its damning banal simplicity at the finish. Sticky, warm, plain, and dry. Bourbon overpowers in the final pulse, drying out vegetally. Strange example; the alcohol is nicely masked despite the comparitive thinness of body, and this one could maybe do well with a little more time.

Tampa RB Gathering Beer #14....not quite sure who shared this one, maybe DragonStout, maybe someone else...was hard to tell at this point in the evening....dark brown, almost black pour with a mocha colored, small-medium sized head....notes of chocolate, malts, bourbon, charred malts and vanilla on the nose....flavor very complimentary, the bourbon doesn’t overwhelm or detract much from the beer, granted I have never had the original to compare....some earthiness definitely comes through in the flavor profile, along with richly concentrated milk chocolate and bourbon notes....full bodied, silky smooth palate....bit of heat on the whole, but not too bad....finish is chocolate, bourbon and vanilla, leaving me wanting more....good beer

75 cL bottle, thanks to Myrup. Pours hazy brown with a slight reddish. Roasted aroma, slight fruity. Slight chocolate aroma. Flavour is slight liqourice note and quite strong with a slight chocolate note. Some undefineable chemical note. End is slight caramelly liqourice. Nice.

RBSG 07 Minneapolis Grand Tasting: Dark ebony/ruby. Light tan head and lacing. Nose of chocolate and creamy cocoa notes. The flavor is sweet, not much barrel nor bourbon taste. Clean, malty.

Bottle. Dark red brown coloured with a small beige ehad. Sweet and roasted aroma of dried fruits, vanilla and wood. Sweet and roasted flavour of dried fruits, vanilla and wood.

Bottle. [Courtesy of Papsoe, quality tasting @ Papsoe] Small rocky white head that mostly diminished. Spare lacework. Dark mahogany color. Aroma of bread, molasses, coffee, chocolate, roasted malt, light floral notes, and some underlying wood and bourbon feel. Full bodied with an alcoholic texture and a soft carbonation. Moderated sweet flavor with light counter bitterness. Warming sweet finish that lingers. 28-09-2007

(Bottle 75 cl) Courtesy of IrishBoy. Pours a clear, warm, dark brown with a tint of red and a beige head. Fat, sweetish, caramel aroma and some roasted malt up there too. Medium body only with sweetish, roasted malt - not overly burned - with lightly sweet notes of vanilla and wood. No distinct bourbon accents really and even the bitterness is discreet. A very subtle and discreet take on the style making it mellow and easy drinking. 280907

Bottle. A dark red brown beer with a beige head. The aroma is roasted malt, rye bread, chocolate and bourbon, so is the taste, but alcoholic. Medium to full body with a light sweet alcoholic finish.